Method of and apparatus for copying printed matter



April 8, 1941. w. RITZERFELD ETAL 2.237.363

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR COPYING PRINTED MATTER Filed Jan. 13, 19394' Sheets-Sheet l QQM / A ll'orney w. RITZERFELD ETAL. 2.237.363

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR COPYING PRINTED MATTER April 8, 1941.,

Filed Jan. 13, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 0 3; e: &5 7. mp mum 1,;

2 mw w w .April 8, 1941. w. RITZERF'ELD ETAL 2.237.363

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR COPYING PRINTED MATTER Filed Jan. 15, 1939 4Sheets-Sheet 3 fir/m/imew A"? raw/Mfr April I w. RITZERFELD ETAL 237,363

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR COPYING PRINTED MATTER 4 Sheets-Sheet 4Filed Jan. 13, 1939 1. mmm

m vemons: Mike/m Xjzz erfejd Heinrich Escher generically hereafter asPatented Apr. 8, 1941 METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR COPYING PRINTED MATTERWilhelm Ritzerfeld and HeinrichFischer, Berlin,

Germany; said Fischer assignor to feld said Ritzer- Application January1:, 1939, Serial No. 250,614 In Germany January 18, 1938 14 Claims.(01.10141) This invention relates to a method of reprint ing to onecommon sheet of paper or the like (hereinafter termed sheet") textswhich in partremain constant and which in part may vary or Y change foreach reprinting stage and also to apparatus for carrying into effectsuch method.

'I'he text or texts may be copied by whole pages,

or more texts which remain constant to be copied in conjunction with oneor more texts which may be changed for each copying stage the individualcopies being obtained in a single complete working code of the copying,manifolding or other printingapparatus, the texts being taken preferablyfrom several associated originals.

A further feature of the invention consists in copying on to the samesheet in the same working cycle separate and additional text or textswhich again may be either the same for a number of copies or differentin respect of each copy to be made. Such additional text of the constantkind may be constituted by example by numerals whilst the text which ischanged may be constituted by current serial numbers.

It is immaterial in what manner the original texts used for copying aremade. Such originals may be for example wax paper stencils, metal foilstencils, stereos or printing blocks and termed originalsl Mainly,however, the copying of so-called mirror script originals is envisagedi, e., paper originals which bear the text to be copied on the back orreverse side in copyable negative script. The copying maybe eflected bya dry or a wet process or a partly dry and partly wet process may beused. Thus it is possible to use dry originals for copying on to .eitherdry or moistened copying sheets, but it is equally well possible tomoisten the originals and to use either dry or wet copying sheets.

The copying of the additional text or texts can also be effected withthe aid of any of the known and standard printing means such as forexample, by fixed or interchangeable rubber stamps or by type, off-set,sterotype, block or stencil printing processes (stamping-type).

It is already known to produce copies of paragraphs or lines from oneand the same mirrorscript original in such a manner that certain, notnecessarily 'adjacently disposed portions thereof are copied in twoseparate working cycles or changed with each copy. Relatively smallsheets are usually employed, for the foregoing method and as the sheetshad to pass through the copying apparatus twice or sometimes even moreoften this required a. correspondingly increased labour cost andexpenditure of time.

The method according to the present invention has for object to simplifythe copying of a text or texts which remain constant for several copiesand of a text or texts which is changed with each copy and furthermoreto shorten the time taken by producing the copies on the sheets in asingle working cycle, that is to say, in one single passage through thecopying apparatus.

To this end it is necessary that the various texts to be copied arecarried by separate and independent originals. The second importantfeature of the invention is that the various originals are so arrangedor positioned relatively one to another in a copying apparatus, whichmay be of any known or desired kind, that the texts to be copied at anytime are adjacently disposed in the requisite order, e. g. according tothe divisions of a proof of form. In this way a text which is to remainconstant for a predetermined number of copies and which'text may becomposed of several parts each on a different original, may becopiedwith certain parts several times and other parts many times.Simultaneously with a text which changes with each copy or series ofcopies to give a new line or paragraph and which is contained on yetanother original, the whole of the texts required being copied on thesame sheet coherently with each other and on that part of the sheetproportionate to the space required by all the texts, notwithstandingthe fact that the sheet need only once pass through the copyingapparatus and therefore need only be arranged in position once.

Beside the simplification of the manner of car-' rying out the methodand the considerable saving in time, the new method also has theadvantage of almost unlimited diversity of application and a variety ofuses. The process offers industrial, commercial and banking circles theprospect of opening up new fields of application. or new useswhich havehitherto been entirely out side the scope of this art, such as bycontracting or closely associating in a small space, texts'contained onoriginals remotely spaced one from another and in the rapid, and neatcopying of such stages for the purpose of juxtaposing or closelyassociating on the sheet a text which remains the same for severalcopies and a text which is texts. For example, where the so-calledpermanentheading of a form or the like has to be copied about 20 timeswith varying additional matter it has not been possible hitherto to makeuseless or superfluous.

so far consists in copying a permanent text or texts together withseveral adjacently disposed.

paragraphs or lines of text or texts plus additional text matter whichis changed or changes after each copy, all in one and the sameoperation.

The foregoing examples do not, however, exhaust the numerous uses towhich the new method can be put.

The accompanying diagrammatic drawings both illustrate the new methodand show by way of example a number of constructions of apparatus foruse in carrying out the method without however limiting thepossibilities of other constructions. For example, if apparatus is usedin which mirror-script sheets or the like are used as originals thepressure applying device (pulleys, rollers, or the like) and themoisture applying device may be constructed and arranged in any known ordesired manner.

In industrial and commercial undertakings, run on modern lines forms arevery extens vely used which according to the type of undertaking andaccording to the particular purpose have to be copied either once or asa whole series and either by pages, line or paragraph. Often part of thetext to be copied remains the same for all copies whilst other parts arefrequently changed.

The necessity then arises of providing the individual copies of the oneseries each independently or in small lots with additional text matter.Such additional text has previously had to be stamped in by rubber stampor written in in handwriting. Not only was this troublesome andtime-consuming, but also it was attended by the great drawback thateither by inadvertence or inattentiveness errors of sometimesfarreaching consequences could occur. Thus .for example, in thefrequently adopted method of carrying on the work of a business by theaid of forms or slips of paper errors might have a very detrimentaleffect du to individual duplicated slips or forms being additionallyprovided with wrong order numbers or wrong piece numbers so that anumber of articles or goods became This has not only meant a loss oftime and material but a whole business or manufacturing process might bejeopardised.

The new method and the apparatus for carrying the same into effectenable the drawback outlined to be avoided and in addition considerabletime is saved, this latter advantage is obtained particularly by thefact that the attendant need not leave his place at the copying ap-D'EURSIt'llS in order to mount the additional text in position nor is itnecessary to employ the services of auxiliary attendants when making alarge number of copies such as hitherto has been the case.

Accordingly an import-ant feature of the invention as already indicatedconsists in combining the n. :thod of copying whole pages, lines orparagraphs of different texts, some remaining constant and somechangeable with a printing process (stamping) by which the saidadditional texts such as a series of numerals, current serial numbers orthe like are no longer required to be entered by hand but are introducedmechanically during the same operation in which the copying is effected.

The copying process can be carried out in prac tice with .the aid of anynew or known copying methods, e. g., themirror-script or the stenc'ilmethod. The same is true for the printing process which may be carriedout for example by type, off-set, stencil or stereotype (block)printing. In the same way as the copying apparatus can be used toreproduce main texts which remain the same or vary per copy or series ofcopies or main texts which remain the same in part and vary in part thiscan be done with the printing device for the additional text or texts.The printing on of additional text which varies per copy or series ofcopies, by means of the printing device associated with the copyingdevice, and preferably operatingor operated dependent thereof andadjustable to suitable requirements may take place at any time inrelation to the copying process (during, before or after the copying) ofthe main text or of parts thereof. The copying of the main text may takeplace from one and the same original or from several originals whichareso mounted as to be adjustable relatively one to another in the copyingapparatus, e. g., on the drum of a rotary duplicating machine in such amanner, for example, that-text portions which are spaced far apart fromone another can be copied on to a surface which corresponds to the spacethey require when associated or to a particular spot on the sheet suchasv would 'be required in forms. Individual originals can be changed forcopying the main text so that parts of the main text may be copied moreoften than other parts whereby a great number of changes can be made inthe main text. It is of course also possible to copy several adjacentlydisposed text portions by whole pages as often as is desired. Likewisewhole-page originals can be copied in conjunction with lines orparagraphs which may be taken in any desired sequence from otheroriginals as required for i any particular case.

In the same way the additional text may be varied in that for theproduction thereof, for example, a number of metal or rubber type wheelseach independently adjustable and secunable may be used for adjustablerubber type bands similar to the well-known date stamps or printingpieces may be employed.

A particular mode of carrying out the new method may consist in copyinglines or paragraphs of a large whole-page text or of a text composed .ofseveral parts by covering up individual text portions. For this purposeseveral adjustable stencil sheets or shields may be provided which arearranged so as to leave sufficient space between them as will permit therequired text to be reproduced, such as the space of a line or of aparagraph. Alternatively, adjustable stencil sheets or shields havingapertures or cut-out portions of the necessary breadth such as thebreadth of a line or of a paragraph may be used.

Finally it is expedient to provide metal foils for interposing betweenseveral original sheets which when adjusted on the drum or the likeoverlie one another, the main purpose of the metal foils being tofacilitate the displacement of the originals relative to one another-andto prevent them adhering either to the drum or to one another, Thedrawings illustrate several 2,237,363 constructional examples ofapparatus for applying the new method.

Fig. 1 illustrates a top elevational view, somewhat fragmentary, of anoriginal bearing a constant text; I

Fig. 2 depicts a similar view of another origi nal bearing a constanttext;

Fig. 3 shows a top elevational view of an original having a plurality ofselectively copyable portions;

Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the originals illustrated in Figs. 1and 3 in superposed coop- Fig. 9 illustrates a perspective view,somewhat dagrammatic in character, of a duplicating machine having twoprinting drums;

Fig. 10 depicts a top elevational view of a copy produced in accordancewith the invention;

Fig. 11 shows a similar view of a copyable original to be copied on thesheet illustrated in Fig. 10;

Fig. 12 is a top elevational view of the copy sheet appearing in Fig. 10after the additional text shown in Fig. 11 has been copied thereon;

Fig. 13 illustrates a perspective view, somewhat diagrammatic incharacter, of a rotary duplicating machine having a stamping devic 7associated therewith;

Fig, 14 depicts a similar view of a rotary duplieating machine havingcircumferentially arranged stamping means associated therewith;

Fig. 15 shows a perspective view of a rotary duplicating machine havingtype carriers provided in the circumferential surface thereof;

Fig. 16 isa diagrammatic perspective view of a rotary duplicatingmachine having thin separating sheets provided between the copyableoriginals;

Fig. 17 is an enlarged sectional view, having parts in elevation, of theduplicating machine shown in Fig. 16; and v Fig. 18 is an enlargedsectional view, somewhat fragmentary, taken on line 13-3 of Fig. 17.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, Fig.1 shows by way ofexample one form of an original of which the shaded portion represents atext I, which is to remain the same for all the copies of a series ofcopies to be made (such text being hereinafter referred to as the"constant text). Adjoining this text I is a blank strip of paper whichon positioning two such originals relative to one another serves tocover up such portion of the second original as is not intended to becopied.

Fig. 2 shows a form of another constant text II. The adjoining blankstrip in this case merely serveslfor placing underneath the originalcontaining the constant text 11. This arrangement enables the constanttext to be altered such as by the text portion 1 being copied ten timesand the text II being added for a further ten copies.

Fig. 3 shows an example of the form of an original containing a textwhich is intended to be changed after eachcopy or a. particular numberof copies (hereinafter called the variable text). It is assumed that fora particular copy line 5 with the variable text III is to be copiedalong with the text I shown in Fig. l.

The association of these two originals is shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 5 shows a finished copy of the two originals associated andadjusted-relatively to one another as shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 shows the use of both constant texts I and II in conjunction withthe variable text III as shown in Fig. 3. It is obvious that byassociating the various originals on the copying device or by adjustingthe text portions relatively to one another the most varied combinationsof texts are possible.

For example modern business procedure requires the making or filling upof a number of forms or slips or the like e. g., working plans, slipsfor material issued, time slips, workshop instruction slips, slips forchecking important dates in the working plan, workshop visiting cards,and the like. It sometimes happens that parts of the heading of theform,that is of the constant text are reprinted for the whole serieswhilst other parts of the heading must either be omitted after a certainnumber of copies have been made or additional matter must be added.Thus, for example, the order or instruction number, the order orinstruction date,- the piece number remains the same for all forms orslips of a series whilst for example the designation of the workshop,the particulars about the material the model numbers and so on as mayrequire to be varied or changed for a series. These particulars may bechanged for example, as the various stages of a job or the like arecompleted. It is the very multiiorm character of the demands whichmodern industrial procedure makes in regard to production andapplication or letters and the adaptability and changeability ofletters, forms, circulars, and so on, that enable the importance of thepresent invention to be particularly well realized.

Fig. 7 shows a front elevation of a rotary duplicating machine havingtwo holding devices (clamps) for retaining the various originals afteradjustment thereof relative to one another for the successive copyingoperation. Mounted on a drum I is an original 2 which in the presentcase is provided with 12 different lines of text. This originaltherefore bears the variable text (111 in Figs. 3 to 6). A secondoriginal 3 bears the constant text (I). The original 2 is held inposition by a clamping rail 4 or the like which is so mounted on thedrum as to be secured against axial displacement. The original 3 isretained by holding device (clamping device)'5 which is axiallyadjustable by means of a worm spindle or cam groove shaft-:6. The:sheetl to receive the copy rests on the feed-table 8. A counter pressingroller 9 is provided preferably below the drum l and is adapted to belengthened axially byan extension III in case several lines of theoriginal 2 are to be duplicated in the same operation. In the exampleillustrated lines I and '2 of the original can be covered by theattached cover strip as shown in Fig. 1. To make this clear line I ofthe original 2 which is to be copied together ith the constant text ofthe original 3 is shown shaded. In the arrangement shown in Fig. 7therefore the constant text of the original 3 and line 5 of the variabletext of the original 2 are duplicated on the sheet 1 by a single pass ofthe latter between the drum I and the roller ll. The reference numeralll denotes any known or desired driving means for the spindle 6 by theaid of which the original 2 or rather the able text and a plate 24carries the original 3 bearing several texts, which remain constant forone series in each case. Each of these two plates is associated with aplaten 22. The reference numeral |5 again denotes a bed. Both the plates23 and 24 and the bed l5 are displaceable on bars which may be toothed.A displacement of the parts 23, 24 and I5 may of course be effectedinany other desired manner by means of any known or specially devisedactuating elements. The operation of this apparatus is as follows: thesheet 1 to be printed remains stationary on the bed l5 at all times andis first of all moved under the table 24 carrying the original 3 bydisplacement of the bed |5 on its bars. By moving the two parts I4 and24 one towards the other the associated platen 22 is brought intoaction. The bed I5 with the sheet I is then moved into positionunderneath the plate 23, the same operation being repeated there wherebythe variable text is produced on the sheet.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a form of duplicating machine comprisingtwo drums 25 and 26 having their axes arranged parallel to one another.The drum 25 serves to carry the original 3 bearing the constant textwhilst the original 2 bearing the variable text is mounted on the drum26. The drum 26 together with the original mounted thereon is axiallydisplaceable relative to the drum 25 on a spindle 21 or the like so thatthe constant text of the original 3 also in this case can be reproducedtogether withone or more lines of the original 2. With this constructionhowever those portions of the original 2 which i are not to be copiedmust be covered up in some suitable manner as for example in the manneralready described with reference to some of the previous embodiments.This is facilitated because the lines on the two originals 2 and 3extend in the direction of rotation of the drums 25 and 26. A base 8 onwhich the sheet 1 is disposed remains stationary. The drive of the drums25 and 26 may be for example through a. rack (not shown) which comesinto successive engagement with pinions on the axles of the drums 25,26. 28 is a counter pressing roller for the variable text and 29 acounter pressing roller for the constant text.

In contra-distinction to the construction shown in Fig. 8 copying in thepresent embodiment is effected not in an interrupted but in anuninterrupted operation as it is not necessary to stop the sheet 1before it passes under the drum 26.

Fig. 10 shows a sheet, 1. e. copy produced by the present invention inwhich for example the texts a and b each of which consist of severallines and which may be variable or constant have been copied from twooriginals and a one-line text variable at each reprinting has beensimultaneously copied from the third original the texts a, I and cforming together the main texts. A blank space it has been left betweenthe main text portions a, b for the purpose of receiving an additionaltext.

Fig. 11 shows the original for the additional text e and Fig. 12 showsthe sheet according to Fig. 1 after copying thereon the main texts a, b.c and after printing upon the additional text e.

Fig. 13 is a perspective diagrammatic representation of a rotaryduplicating machine comprising a drum M, a counter pressing roller 42,and a bed or feed table 44 which is laterally disposable parallel to theaxle 43 of the drum 4|. Mounted on the feed table 44 to turn on a pivot45 is a fork member 46 in which a type wheel 41 is journalled on a bar48 on which it is adapted to be secured in predetermined positions andto be displaced together with its associated par-ts 44, 45, 46 and 41parallel to 'axis 43. A bellcrank lever 49 is pivoted on a pin 58provided in the casing of the machine (not shown). One arm of the lever49 carries a roller or the like 5| and the other arm engages the bar 48with a bearing or guide lug 52. Mounted on the drum axle 43 or the endface of the drum 4| is a cam 53 which impresses the roller 5| at eachrevolution of the drum thereby causing the bell-crank lever 49 to lowerthe bar 48 and thus to press the type wheel 41 on to a sheet 54 on thefeed table 44. The type wheel 41 thereby applies the additional text tothe sheet whilst subsequently the main text is reproduced thereon by thedrum 4|. In accordance with the arrangement of the originals mounted onthe drum 4| the feed table 44 and the counter pressing roller 42together with the sheet 54 will have to be laterally displaced. The typewheel 41 however always remains under the action of the control members49, 5|, 52 and 53 so that the controlling viz. the periodical liftingand lowering of the type wheel 41 is in no way interrupted by thevarying position of the feed table 44 and the sheet 54 to be printedupon, the printing of the additional text continuing to be efiected atthe desired or appropriate moment whilst the sheet 54 passes between thedrum 4| and the counter pressing 'roller 42. A spring 55 serves toreturn the type wheel 41 into its upper inoperative position after eachdepression. The counter pressing roller 42 may if desired be of the samelength as the drum 4| which will have to be the case for example if therelatively adjustable originals intended for joint repreduction whollyor substantially cover the whole length of the drum 4 In the aboveembodiment the operation and control of the printing device 41 iseffected automatically from the drum 4| In the constructional exampleaccording to Fig. 14 one or more type carriers 13 are arranged on oneside or on the end face of the drum 4| of the duplicating machine nearthe edge thereof, the type carriers serving to produce the additionaltext for which purpose they are inked by means of an ink-applying roller14 or the like.

In the form shown in Fig. 15 type carriers 13 are provided in thecircumference of the drum 4| of the duplicating machine and areinterchangeably held in position therein, for example by mounting themin a conical recess 15, the type carriers being secured by fillingpieces 16 and 11. An inking roller 14 for applying ink to the typecarrier 13 is mounted in front of the recess 15.

Fig. 16 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a construction on thelines of Fig. 7 in which separate sheets 3|, 92, preferably thin metalfoils, are arranged between originals 89 and 90 on a drum 88. Thesemetal foils 9| and 92 are for the purpose of preventing cohesion of theoriginals 89 and 98 and to facilitate easy displacement of "theoriginals relative to one another without creasing or crumpling. Fig. 17is a sectional elevation on an enlarged-scale of the drum 88 shown inFig, 16. The original 89 which bears the constant text and the metalfoils 9! are secured in any known or desired manner in a laterallydisplaceable retaining device'94 which is displaceable within the drum88 by means of lateral arms 95 on the drum axle 93. The original 98bearing the variable text and the metal foils 92 are held by a clampingdevice 96 which is fixed in position. Fig. 18 is an enlarged sectionalelevation on the lines A-B of Fig. 17, showing a stepped portion 9'! inthe jacket of the drum 88 which is necessary to compensate for thedifference in thickness of the two originals 88 and 90 and the two metalfoils 9| and 92.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our saidinvention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare thatwhat we claim is:

1. In a duplicating machine printing onto clear sheets by means ofcopyable mirror-script originals, the combination comprising a pluralityof carrier members, each adapted to receive and to hold a copyablemirror-script original, at least one of said originals remainingconstant for a number of copies 'and at least one of said originalshaving a plurality of selectively copyable portions, and means forpassing a clear sheet in inals having a plurality of selectivelycopyable.

portions, means for displacing said originals into such cooperativeposition that said constant original and a predetermined portion of saidselec-- tively copyable original are adjacent to each other, and meansfor passing a clear sheet in pressure contact with said cooperatingoriginals to provide a copy of such copyable matter on said sheet in asingle operation.

3. In a duplicating machine printing onto clear sheets by means ofcopyable mirror-script originals, the combination comprising a pluralityof r carrier members each adapted to hold a copyable mirror-scriptoriginal, at least one of said originals remaining constant tor a numberof copies and at least one of said originalshaving aplurality ofselectively copyable portions, means for displacing said originals intosuch overlapping cooperative position that said constant'original and apredetermined portion of said selectively nals having a plurality ofselectively copyable portions, means for displacing said clamping meansto bring said originals into such relative position that said constantoriginal is adjacent to the portion of said selectively copyableoriginal to be copied and masks the portions thereof which are not to becopied, and means for passing a clear sheet in simultaneous contact withsaid originals to print a copy of said constant original and apreselected portion of the selectively copyable original in a singleoperation.

5. In a duplicating machine printing onto clear sheets by means ofcopyable mirror-script originals, the combination comprising arotatable, printing drum, means for rotating said drum, axiallydisplaceable means operatively associated with said drum adapted toclamp at least two copyable mirror-scriptoriginals, one of saidoriginals remaining constant for a number of copies and at least one ofsaid originals having a plurality of selectively copyable portions,means for displacing said clamping means to bring said originals intosuch relative position that said constant original is adjacent to theportion of said selectively copyable original to be copiedand masks theportion thereof which is not to be copied, meansv for passing a clearsheet in simultaneous contact with said originals to print a copy ofsaid constant original and a preselected portion of the selectivelycopyable original in a single operation, and sheet-like separatingmembers interposed between said originals to facilitate displacementthereof without creasingJ 6. In a duplicating machine printing ontoclear sheets by means of copyable mirror-script originals, thecombination comprising a rotatable printing drum, means for rotatingsaid drum,

axially displaceable means operatively associated with said drum adaptedto clamp at least two copyable mirror-script originals, one of saidoriginals remaining constant for a number of copies and at least one ofsaid originals having a plurality of selectively copyable portions,means for displacing said clamping means to bring said originals intosuch relative position that said constant original is adjacent to theportion of said selectively copyable original to be copied and masks theportions thereof which are not to be copied, means for passing a clearsheet in simultaneous contact with said originals to print a. copy ofsaid constant original and a preselect- 'ed portion of the selectivelycopyable original in a single operation, and means operable by therotation of said printing drum to move said displacing means by aunitary amount for each rotation of said drum.

copyable original are adjacent to each other, and

means for passing a clear sheet in pressure contact with saidcooperating originals to provide a copy of said copyable matter on saidsheet in a single operation.

4. In a duplicating machine printing onto clear sheets by means ofcopyable mirror-script originals, the combination comprising a rotatableprinting drum, axially displaceable means operatively associated withsaid drum adapted to clamp at least two copyable mirror-scriptoriginals, one of said originals remaining constant 101' a number ofcopies the other of said origi- '7. In a duplicating machine printingonto clear sheets by meansof copyable mirror-script originals, thecombination comprising. a plurality of carrier members each adapted tohold a copyable mirror-script original, at least one of said originalsremaining constant for a number of copies and at least one or saidoriginals having a phirality of selectively copyable portions, means fordisplacing said originals in such relative position that said constantoriginal and a predetermined portion or said selectively copyableoriginal are adjacent to each other, means for masking'the portions ofsaid selectively copyable original which are not to be copied, and meansfor passing a clear sheet in pressure contact with said originals toprovide a copy of such copyable matter on said sheet in a singleoperation.

8. In a duplicating machine printing onto clear sheets by means ofcopyable mirror-script originals, the combination comprising a pair ofprinting drums rotatably mounted in parallel-spaced position, means forrotating said drums, a copyable mirror-script original bearing aconstant text on one of said drums, a copyable mirrorscript originalbearing a plurality of selectively copyable portions on the other ofsaiddrums, means for successively passing a clear sheet in pressurecontact with said constant original and with a predetermined portion ofsaid selectively copyable original to provide a copy of such copyablematter on said sheet in a single operation, and means for adjusting saiddrums in the axial direction with respect to each other for selectingvarious portions of said selectively copyable original.

9. In a duplicating machine printing onto clear sheets by means ofcopyable mirror-script originals, the combination comprising a rotatableprinting drum, means for rotating said drum, a copyable mirror-script,original bearing a constant text mounted on said drum, stamping meanshaving a variable text mounted on said drum, and means for passing aclear sheet in pressure contact with said mirror-script original andwith said stamping means to print a copy of said constant and of saidvariable text on said sheet in a single operation and during the samerotation of said printing drum.

10. The method of printing onto copy sheets by means of copyablemirror-script originals a text having at least one constant portionremaining the same for a predetermined number of copy sheets and atleast one variable portion selected from a group of such portions whichcomprises distributing the text on a plurality of originals at least oneof which bears said constant portion and at least another of which bearssaid group of variable portions, displacing said originals into suchrelative positions that said constant portion and at least one of saidvariable portions are adjacent to each other, and passing a copy sheetin pressure contact solely with said selected portions of saidcooperating originals to print a copy of such portions on said sheet ina closely adjacent position and in a single printing operation.

11. The method of printing onto'copy sheets by means of copyablemirror-script originals a text having at least one constant portionremaining the same for a predetermined number of copy sheets and atleast one variable portion selected from a group of such portions whichcomprises distributing the text on a plurality of originals at least oneof" which bears said constant portion and at least another of whichbears said group of variable portions, displacing said originals intosuch relative positions that said constant portion and a selected one ofsaid variable portions are adjacent to each other, and successivelypassing a copy sheet in pressure contact solely with said selectedportions of said cooperating originals to print a copy of such portionson said sheet in a closely adjacent position and in a single printingoperation.

12. The method of printing onto copy sheets by means of copyablemirror-script originals a text having at least one constant portionremaining the same for a predetermined number of copy sheets and atleast one variable Portion selected from a group of such portions whichcomprises distributing the text on a plurality of originals at least oneof which bears said constant portion and at least another of which bearssaid group of variable portions, displacing said originals into suchrelative positions that said constant portion and a selected one of saidvariable portions are adjacent to each other, masking the non-selectedportions of said variable original, and passing a copy sheet in pressurecontact with said originals to print a copy of the constant original andof the selected portion of the variable by means of copyablemirror-script originals a text having at least one constant portionremaining the same for a predetermined number of copy sheets and atleast one variable portion selected from a group of such portions whichcomprises distributing the text on a plurality of cylindrical originalsin parallel spaced position at least oneof which bears said constantportion and at least another of which bears said group of variableportions, displacing said cylindrical originals in the axial directioninto such relative position that said constant portion and a selectedone of said variable portions are adjacent to a line vertical to theaxes of said cylindrical originals, and

passing a copy sheet in pressure contact with said selected portions ofsaid originals to print a copy of such portions on said sheet in aclosely adjacent position and in a single printing operation.

14. The method of printing on-to copy sheets by means of copyablemirror-script originals, a text having at least one constant portionremain ing the same for a predetermined number of 'copy sheets and atleast one variable portion selected from a group of such portions whichcomprises distributing the text on a plurality of cylindrical originalslocated in parallel-spaced position at least one of which bears saidconstant portion and at least another of which bears said group ofvariable portions, displacing said cylindrical originals in the axialdirection into such relative position that said constant portions areadjacent to a line vertical to the axes of said cylindrical originals,masking the non-selected portions of said variable original, and passinga copy sheet in pressure contact with said originals to print a copy ofthe constant original and of the selected portion of the variableoriginal on said sheet in a closely adjacent position and in a singleprinting operation.

WILHELM RITZERF'ELD. HEINRICH FISCHER.

